Collective Bargaining in the Field of Librarianship
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DOCUMENT RESUME ED 048 909 LI 002 718 AUTHOR Goldstein, Melvin S. TITLE Collective Bargaining in the Field of Librarianship. PUB DATE Dec 68 NOTE I73p.; Paper prepared for course in Library Personnel Relations at Pratt Institute, 3rooklyn, New York EDRS PRICE ERRS Price MF-$0.65 %C-$6.58 DESCRIPTORS *Collective Bargaining, *Collective Negotiation, Government Libraries, *Librarians, Library Surveys, *Negotiation Agreements, Professional Personnel, Public Libraries, *Unions, University Libraries IDENTIFIERS Librarianship, *Library Unions ABSTRACT As a matter of economic necessity, librarians must employ the technique of unionization, as though there were no professional associations, in order to obtain better salaries and working conditions. They must also employ the professional associations to seek out and bring about better library service, improve the techniques of librarianship and the image of librarians as though there were no unions. Librarians have an obligation to their profession to become involved in all phases of library policy including the establishment and the running of branches, as well as promotions, transfers and classifications. (Author) PERMISS,ON TO REPRODUCE THIS COTY RIGHTED MATERIAL HAS BEE% GRANTED BY r C7% itiekth S. 4/.41:C.,/,-;' CD TO ERIC AND ORGANIZATIONS OPERATING UNDER AGREEMENTS WITH THE US OFFICE CY's OF EDUCATIONFURTHER REPRODUCTION OUTSIDE TRY ERIC SYSTEM REOVINS PER (ft) MISSION OF THE COPYRIGHT OWNER CD COLLECTIVE BARGAINING IN THE FIELD OF LIBRARIANSHIP by MELVIN S. GOLDSTEIN PRATT INSTITUTE BROOKLYN, NEW YORK Deember 1958 U 8. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, EDUCATIC.1 B WELFARE OFFICE OF EOUCATION THIS DOCUMENT HAS BEEN REPP3 DUCE() EXACTLY AS RECEIVED FROM THE PERSON OR ORGANIZATIOE ORIG- INATING IT POINT +O° VIEW OA OPIN ,ONS STATED DO NOT NECESSi-RILY REPRESENT OFFICIAL OFFICE OF EDU- CATIOV K.,:IPOSI OR POLICY Copyright 1969 by Melvin S. Goldstein All Rights Reserved Navin S. Wldstein 5123 Poa;; Road New York, N.Y. 10471 A Brief History of Collective Bargaining Ffforts onBehalf of Professional Librarians in the United States,Digests of Individual Collective Bargaining Agreements Currently in Force, The Status of Certain Negotiations forCollective Bargaining Agreements, with References to other Matters Relating to the Subject of Unionization in Libraries and Comments on the Role of Urions in the Field of Librarianship, Based on a Survey of the 1:4 Libraries in the UnitedStates Holding more than 500,000 Volumes Submitted to Mary Y. Parr, Associate Professor of Librarianship and Director of Library Extension Programs, as a Term Paperfor LS 551, Library Personnel Relations, December 16, 1968. Melvin S. Goldstein 3 CONTENTS Statement of Purpose 1 Introduction 2 Brief Historical Review 11 The Special Position of Librarianship 13 Definitions 16 The Position of the American Library Association 17 State Library Associations *22 Current Statue of Library Unions 26 Public Libraries Operating Under Collective Bargaining Agreements 30 Detroit Publin Library 30 New York City 41 Brooklyn Public Library 42 New York Public Library 50 Queens Borough Public Library 54 The Public Library of Youngstown and Mahoning County 61 The Free Library of Philadelphia 62 Milwaukee Public Library 66 Public Libraries Operating with Unions 70 Contra Costa County Library 70 Fresno Countl! Free Library 71 Los Angeles Public Library 72 Los Angeles County Public Library 75 Oakland Public Library 77 San Francisco Public Library 78 Public Library of the District of Columbia 78 Chicago Public Library 79 Enoch Pratt Free Library, Baltimore 84 The Boston Public Library 85 Grand Rapids Public Library 87 Minneapolis Public Library 88 The Saint Paul Public Library 92 Buffalo and Brie County Public Library 92 Cleveland Public Library 96 Seattle Public Library 99 University Libraries Operating with Unions 100 University of California at Berkeley 100 The City University of New York 101 University of Pennsylvania 103 Government Libraries 105 State Libraries 105 Federal Libraries 110 The National Agricultural Library 110 Department of the Interior Library 111 Department of State Library 111 The Librery of Congress 111 Veterans Administration Library Service 113 National Library of Medicine 114 Libraries Where Unions Nave Passed out of Existence 115 Atlanta Public Library 115 Wayne County Federated Library System, 116 Butte Public Library 117 The Public Library of remark New Jersey 118 Public Libraries with NonProfessional Unions Only 119 Ramapo Catskill Library System 119 Rochester Public Library 119 Library Association of Portlend (Oregon) 120 University Libraries - Faculty Statue and Vacuity Rank 121 Conclusion 134 Public Libraries to which Letters were Sent 139 Government Libraries to which Letters were Sent 145 University Libraries to which Letters were Sent 147 Unions and Employee Organizations to which Letters were Sent 155 Bibliography Periodical Literature 161 Pamphlets and Term Papers 167 Book 167 1. Statement of Purpose 1 In October, 1939, Bernard berelson,while still a student la the Graduate Library School of the University of Chicago, published in the Library Quarterly the first and, unfortunately, the last com- prehensive history, review and critique on library unionization. The purpose of this paper, therefore, is to set forth a history of library unionization in the United States from the inception of this activity until now, to note the current status of this phenomenon in individual libraries and to consider and comment on some aspects of the unioniza- tion of librarians, existing agreements, the terms of current contracts and some of the details of current understandings between unions and libraries as well es the demands of some unions. It is not intended in this paper to report on, analyze or compare salaries because this will be treated in a separate paper. It must also be noted that this paper will deal with the unionization of professional librarians and not necessarily with theunionization of other library personnel such as clerks, guards, maintenance people and bookuohile drivers. And away we go! 3Bernard bareleon, "Library Unicatetion,"Ibe IibrarviWarterly,IX (October, 1939), 477.510, 2. Introduction In order to gather material for this presentation of cue history of library unions in the United States, the following methods were employed to locate sources and to obtain the information: I checked Library Literature for the period 1921 through 1968 under all pertinent subject headings. I read and abstracted every article relating to the subject except items that appeared in Library Journal prior to 1944 not available at Pratt Institute and in certain other publications or issues not available at Pratt. In those cases, however, I abstracted or copied the summaries printed in Library Literature. Articles mentioned in Library Literature that were published in library union newsletters were in some cases located in the EconomiceDivision of the New York Public Library and wera read and abstracted there. All abstracts were type- written and filed. "Bibliography of Library Economy 1876-1920" by K.G.T. Cannons, and "A Bibliography of Librarianship," Selected by Margaret. Burton and Marion E. Visburgh, were checked but revealed nothing. Every issue of Library Journal and A.IAaulletin for the period April, 1968 through November, 1968, was checked for pertinent material because those items had not yet been indexed by Library Literature. I also went to other published materials to which I was specially referred and Which are not indexed in Library Literature, such as Harold Jones's article in California Voice for July, 1968, and LhkAgmjgbrcLuLtrmhecl for December 1966. Every volume of A.L.A.__Bulletin 1938 through 1957 was examined for information on the Library Unions Round Table in view of a brief reference in Library Literature in 1942. I checked the catalogs in ihe main reference room in the Economics Division of the New York Public Library and located some news- 3. but little else that was papers and bulletinspublished by library unions not available atPratt. Association'stirectory I selected from theAmerican Library 1966-67," every library in theUnited States with of American Libraries, letters to 154 library 500,000 volumes or moreand wrote individual 75 university directors (59 public libraries,20 government libraries, collective representation. libraries) for information onthe development of based on volumes onlyand not The list taken from theALA Itirectory" was of Congress for whichthe only on items, except inthe case of the Library "Circulation" and "population information given is"44,189,000 items." The university library groupincludes served" were not considered. special libraries such university and collegelibraries as well as some The government librariesinclude as the Center forResearch Libraries. the United States State Libraries, librariesof various departments of Government and, of course,the Library of Congress. International After consulting the"Directory of National and "Directory of Labor Labor Unions in the UnitedStates, 1965," and the 238, September, 1967," Organizations in New YorkState, Special Bulletin No. possibly be interested individual letters were sent to29 unions that might determine the developmentof in the organization oflibrary employees to collective representation amonglibrary personnel. and some Letters were sent to thelmerican Library Association Administration correspondence ensued with MissRuth Frame of the Library Division but this produced verylittle hard information. salutation,